Pit River Watershed Alliance
Annual Report
FY01
I. Partnership Overview
The Pit River Watershed Alliance (PRWA) is a non-regulatory organization that is
composed of federal, state, county, tribes, individuals, and local agencies. The effort of
the group is to collectively pursue watershed health and restoration within the Pit River
Drainage through watershed restoration projects, local community and economic support,
and resource education.
The Pit River watershed, which is about 3 million acres in size, is located in
northeastern California and provides 20% of the water to the Sacramento River, a major
river within California. The watershed is sparsely populated (less than 10,000 people in
each of the three counties) and composed of a 60-40 split of federal lands to private
lands. The primary use of the private lands is for agriculture/livestock production and
forestry practices. Management of federal lands ranges from multi-use, such as the
Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, to more focus management such as the
Modoc National Wildlife Refuge.
The PRWA was formed in March 2000, when the U.S. Forest Service convened a
public meeting to explore the opportunity to establish such a group. The ideas for an
integrated approach to watershed management was the result of the Modoc National
Forest’s Pit River Watershed Restoration project, which was selected as one of 12
national demonstration projects that emphasize watershed restoration through adaptive
management activities. The overwhelming support for such a group culminated in the
development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that establishes the Mission
and Vision of the PRWA.
The PRWA is in its infancy stage as an organization, with fiscal year 2001 being the
first year of any major efforts. Thus, this is the first annual report for the PRWA.
However, many of its members have been practicing watershed management for
numerous years.
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II. Partnership Goals
The partners for the PRWA are composed of land management agencies, such as
the U.S. Fish Wildlife Refuge Management System, Bureau of Land Management, U.S
Forest Service; tribal governments, private land management companies, such as Sierra
Pacific Industries; regulatory agencies, such as the Central Valley Water Control Board,
Natural Resource Conservation Services, as well as local agencies and districts, such as
Central Modoc Resource Conservation District, City of Alturas, Modoc County Board of
Supervisors, and the North Cal-Neva Resource Conservation and Development Council.
This broad range of membership provides for a diverse interest and goals for watershed
management within the Pit River Drainage. Contained in the MOU for the PRWA are
the collective goals for the ”partners”. The Mission and Vision states the collective
goals for PRWA. The primary purpose of the partners of the PRWA is “to foster
partnerships that achieve integrated long-term cultural, economic and environmental
health of the watershed through active community participation”. With that goal in mind
the PRWA established three main objectives for the first five years. These objectives are
contained in the MOU. They are to:
1. Obtain funding to conduct watershed assessments to determine base-line
conditions and identify additional opportunities for improvements.
2. Implement key watershed improvement and demonstration projects
throughout the watershed.
3. Obtain funding to develop a computerized watershed database connected
to a geographic information system including available monitoring data,
digital photos, and maps.
In concert with these broad based goals, the partners of the PRWA desire to:
4. Increase the capacity of the organization.
5. Emphasize the need to continually outreach through educational
avenues.
III. Accomplishments
For FY 01, the PRWA was extremely successful in making great strides toward achieving
their agreed-to goals. Most of the projects are ongoing and completion of each is
dependent on securing additional funding. The success to date of each project ensures
that there is a strong likelihood the additional sources as well as current sources of
funding will be obtained. Following is a summary of accomplishments by each
objective:
Objective 1– The PRWA obtained $40,000 in funding from the California Regional
Water Quality Control Board to establish baseline water parameters of the main stem of
the Pit River. The parameters include flow, nutrients, pathogens, sediment, chemical,
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macro invertebrates, and fish populations In addition the Central Modoc Resource
Conservation District (CMRCD) obtain funding for (ADD CLFF HARVEYS INPUT.
PRWA was successful in obtaining a grant from the Cal-Fed Bay Delta Program for
initiating a watershed assessment for the Pit River watershed. This project, which was
funded for approximately $460,000, will describe the current condition of the watershed
in terms of its physical, biological and social condition and identify opportunities for
watershed enhancement or restoration. The assessment should be completed within two
years and will be used as a basis for future project identification.
Objective 2. The major projects that were implemented were the Upper Pit River
Watershed Enhancement and Restoration Project (Modoc NF) and the Central Modoc
RCD Upper Pit Rehabilitation Project). In regards to the Modoc NF project;
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25 acres of wetland enhancement
6000 acres of hazardous fuel reduction through burning or mechanical thinning
5000 acres of layout for out year fuel treatment
Two in-stream watershed restoration projects
26 range land allotment decision which improve or maintain riparian conditions,
and
1700 acres of wildlife enhancement
The Central Modoc RCD project included:
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3000 feet of riparian restoration on the min stem of the Pit River
Re-vegetation along main stem of Pit River
Objective 3– The PRWA is pursuing funding through the Natural Resource Conservation
Service to obtain the appropriate GIS hardware and software. When obtained, the
information from the baseline work (Objective 1) can be electronically stored for future
references and incorporated into project monitoring.
Objective 4- The PRWA obtained funding to establish a Watershed Coordinator position.
Part of the duties of the Coordinator is to initiate outreach for additional
members/partners for the Alliance as well as securing funding for continuation of the
Objectives of the PRWA. The funding is approximately $100,000, with the primary
contributors being the State of California Proposition 13, Bay-Delta Watershed program
and the Forest Service.
Objective 5- The Central Modoc RCD in concert with the local school district and the
PRWA, have established a River Center in Alturas, which is being developed to serve as
an educational/informational center for schools and general public. Funding has been
obtained for a Coordinator for the River Center. The program, which includes rent of a
temporary location, Coordinator, field trips and educational materials, is funded by a
$160,000 state grant. The PRWA is proud of this effort and believes that the future of
watershed management resides in continual education of both old and young.
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IV. Challenges and Change
The challenges for the Pit River Watershed Alliance are to build the trust and confidence
of its members to work collectively toward a goal Exchange of information sometimes
becomes “bogged” by federal and state regulations. The goal of the Alliance is to
implement the intent of the regulations without jeopardizing the spirit of cooperation and
partnerships.
V. Future Actions and Opportunities
The PWRA has established the primary objectives for the next five years. The objectives
will be evaluated on yearly basis to determine if 1) they are still appropriate, 2) are there
conditions which would warrant new objectives, and 3) how successful have the
organization and its member been in achieving the objectives.
In regards to opportunities, the primary emphasis will be to expanding the capacity of the
organization and to secure of funding for implementation of the projects.
VI. Partnership Budget/Costs
The PWRA will continue to seek outside funding to implement its goals and objectives.
The following table identified some of the respective partnership budget for the PRWA:
Members
Central Modoc RCD
North Cal-Neva RC&D
Modoc National Forest
Contributors
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Warner Mountain Range Permittees
$390,000
$100,000
$1,200,000
$100,000
$50,000
VII. Partnership Contacts.
Terry Williams
Mark Steffek
Dick Mackey
Rosemary Nelson
Sandy Higa
Dennis Heiman
Wayne Chandler
Todd Sloat
North Cal-Neva RC&D
North Cal-Neva R &D
Central Modoc RCD
Pit River Tribe
NRCS
Central Valley WQCB
Modoc NF
Pit Watershed Alliance
530- 233-8868
530-233-8868
530-233-4552
530-233-6761
530-233-8861
530-224-4851
530-233-8830
tsloat@citlink.net
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